(BL) Hunting The Field Guide
Chapter 471: The ride down

Chapter 471: The ride down

Kellen was brought down to the lower level where he had normally met his students when they came back from the front lines. He hadn’t seen the other side of this place, and when he got there with Casper, he found that they weren’t alone.

Another Esper was waiting there. It wasn’t Morrison since he was pretty sure he remembered someone saying he was in a gate when everything went down. It was another man who Kellen had seen around and spoken to but they didn’t run in the same circles.

"Kellen, this is George Winston. He’s been with the Guild about as long as I have. He’s also been transporting people to and from the front lines for a long time as well. Rhys asked for him specifically to drive you to the front lines. He is a former member of a hate group." Casper told him.

Kellen scanned the dirty blond hair and brown eyes with a different tone. It wasn’t one of judgement, more of calculation.

"I’m assuming that means you’re at least somewhat reformed?" Kellen asked and Esper Winston chuckled.

"Somewhat. I’m how Gunther was able to get in a lot easier then if it had been someone else. Even if it’s in the past, my old name carries some weight." He admitted, and Kellen noticed that like Carlos, he had a large slit across his throat. Was that just something they liked to do to people they didn’t like? It was ridiculous.

"I see. Well, I’m glad that’s the case." Kellen told him and Casper nodded as he looked between the two of them. Kellen glanced at Casper and noticed how his eye was twitching. He wondered for a moment why that was happening until Casper reached over, grabbed Kellen and pulled him in for a hug.

Kellen was a little stiff, having not expected that the other man was going to hold him. Casper wasn’t much for hugging in all the time that Kellen had observed him.

Casper gave him a tight squeeze, pulled away, and opened and closed his mouth. His eyes weren’t spilling over with tears, but he did look emotional.

"You’re going to be as safe as possible, right?" Casper asked and Kellen nodded. "You aren’t going to rush into any more danger, right?" Casper asked and Kellen felt his lips twitch. He reached up, placing his hands on top of Casper’s, giving them a squeeze.

"This is my job, Casper. I have more experience than everyone else who went into the gates combined. That includes those who have gone in before now. I will do my best, and I promise I won’t go out of my way, alright?" Kellen told him and Casper nodded, sniffing.

"Okay. Good. I just...I know there is already so much pressure on your shoulders, I just..." Casper trailed off. "We’re already down so many people, and I don’t think the Guild would survive with you gone as well." There was a deeper meaning to his words, and Kellen didn’t need to be warned.

He knew.

Kellen let out a shaky breath, nodded, and gave his hands another squeeze.

"I know." Kellen said softly. "Thank you for seeing me off in his place. Take care of him while I’m gone, alright? And take care of yourself as well, Casper. If I come back and you’re a damn stick again, I’m going to be pissed." Kellen warned and watched as Casper’s lips wavered in a smile. He dropped his head, breaking eye contact and nodded.

"Okay. I understand, Kellen." He turned to Esper Winston. "Take care of him, alright? Make sure you both get to the front lines safely. Now would be a great time to attack." Casper said and Esper Winston nodded.

"Understood, Sir. I’ll be safe, but efficient." Esper Winston confirmed, sliding his gaze to Kellen. He gave a soft smile when he met Kellen’s gaze.

Casper finally extracted himself from Kellen, stepping away and giving a heavy sigh. Then, Kellen turned and followed Esper Winston to the car.

It was nondescript, simple. A blend in kind of car. Kellen took his bag off and placed it at his feet as he got into the passenger side of the car while Esper Winston got into the driver’s side. The only thing of note was that the windows were tinted. All of the windows.

Highly illegal for other cars, but permissible for this type. The two didn’t say anything to each other, but Kellen didn’t consider it an awkward silence.

"I’ve got some older music for when the connection cuts and we don’t have the stations anymore." Esper Winston said. "They’re in the glove box. Have your pick." He said, and Kellen nodded. He waited until they were moving out from under the Guild building and out onto the street before he opened the glove box.

Several old style CD’s and other items poured out. Kellen wouldn’t have guessed it by his appearance that he was a bit of an overpreparer, but here was the proof. Kellen rifled through the selection, making a few and placing them between them so that they were easier to grab, then he put everything else away.

The music from the stations that would drop off filled the air and Esper Winston glanced at him as he pulled to a red light.

"You can sleep if you want. You have a big task ahead of you. I promise I’ll wake you up if something happens." He told Kellen and Kellen nodded. He yawned, trying not to, but it was inevitable.

Kellen also tried not to notice how his body was beginning to ache. He needed to ignore that. It was a little bit rude, but he was going to the front lines where Taylor was. There was a chance she would take care of this deep ache for him, how sore his muscles were going to be.

There was a chance she slapped him in the face and told him to deal with it himself, but he was remaining slightly optimistic. After all, they were friends, she had said it herself, and Kellen wasn’t doing anything intrinsically bad.

He was just trying to save his people, his sister, when the rest of the city had turned their backs on them.

~

Kellen had eventually nodded off, leaning his head against the window and woke up periodically to check on what was going on around them. Esper Winston was a good driver, and had a good sense of where to avoid, and where to go.

It wasn’t like there were other roads to the front lines, but there were a few spots that were ’high activity’ zones, and he had a sense to be able to avoid where he thought monsters would be. It was a skill that Kellen envied, but Esper Winston didn’t bat an eye.

He was mostly whistling along to the songs when Kellen would wake up periodically.

Kellen knew it was a little rude that he wasn’t speaking to the man, but he also had a lot on his mind and he needed to get some sleep, or focus. He had a big task ahead of him, and while he was confident in himself, his abilities, and all of his skills, it was a daunting thing, this gate.

He felt, somewhere deep inside of him, that he was always going to end up going into this gate. Almost like he had no choice. Like, there was a higher power involved and they had decided years and years ago that something like this was going to happen, and Kellen was going to go into it.

It was a chilling thought, especially since Kellen didn’t really believe in higher powers. Not in the traditional sense, anyway. How could he? What higher power would allow this much change and devastation happen to a place they were overlooking unless they were fucking terrible at their job?

He didn’t say these things out loud, since it never had a good response. More people had turned towards believing in higher beings during this time, since it gave them comfort. He was fairly certain his parents did, as did many others.

He’d never discussed this with Rhys. He hadn’t seen a point to have that conversation with him. Kellen didn’t care enough about it to make a big deal about it, and honestly? If it brought him comfort, he didn’t care.

Kellen let out a soft exhale, coming up from his nap for the last time, stretching out, his muscles twitching and aching in ways he hadn’t experienced before. He made a face, wondering if every time was going to be like this, or if it got better the more you did it, like other exercises.

He’d only have one way to find that out, and currently, his partner was hundreds of miles away, like he wanted him to be.

His heart ached at that thought, and Kellen shifted in his seat.

"We’re almost there." Esper Winston said. "Roads were pretty clear this time. It probably has to do with the attack recently on the front lines. When something like that happens, the smaller ones draw back so as not to anger the bigger guys that come through. We were in luck. Means we made really good time." He sounded pretty happy about that and Kellen just nodded.

It just meant that Kellen getting his head torn off by Hill and Taylor, and hell, let’s throw Sergei and Pamela in there as well for good measure; was approaching faster and faster. He was going to be scraps when he actually entered the gate.

He hoped that would be enough to get everyone to safety. He stared at the backpack before him. He hadn’t actually checked it, hadn’t had time to. He would have to give himself a second to do so once they fully arrived, before he stepped inside the gate. He didn’t know if he needed anything else, but he had a feeling he didn’t.

He’d taught them how to pack a bag. He needed to have faith in them, and trust them. They weren’t setting him up for failure. They were setting him up for success.